Blood On Snow: The Slow Burn
by somatogenic
Summary: Watching the snow drift down, memories we thought we once hid away come back to us. Marauder time. Semi RS fluff. T for cursing.


AN: It's been nearly a year since I've put anything up on ff. net. I've been writing epic poems as of late. Ever since I read POA when I was 11, I knew that Remus Lupin and Sirius Black, were, without a doubt, lovers (awfully perceptive for an 11-year-old, non?). I've read fanfiction about them since that time, and, five years later, decided to try and put up something (I've written about them numerous times just nothing good enough to put up). So here it is.

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Remus Lupin loved winter days.

But it was not because of the crunch of snow under foot, the laughter of friends, the slide of a snowball down the back of your cloak, though he enjoyed that too.

And, as much as he liked walking through Hogsmead, watching the snowfall drift down lazily, until disturbed by the eruptious activities of his friends, that did not explain the charm of cold days.

To him, there was nothing better than to get a large book, preferably a thousand pages at the very least, snuggle up with a large cup of cocoa in his favorite over stuffed love seat right next to the fireplace in the Gryffindor common room, and spend several happy hours content in his own company The combination of all his loves, chocolate, reading, and security, were combined into one blissful existence. A blissful existence that was being rudely interrupted at the moment.

"Would you get off of me?" he growled half heartedly, the warmth of his fur blanket clipping the harsh tones in his voice. He was met with wide blue puppy eyes, and he couldn't help but let some of that residual anger melt away like spring snow at the sight. Sirius pouted, playing up the puppy look, and placed his large black head upon Lupins lap, more specifically, on the book that was laying on Lupin's lap.

"But it's snowing out," he whined, "I want to go play". Sirius' love for playing- maybe frolicking was a better word for it- in the snow was infamous, and since he'd acquired his amigus form, it'd only worsened.

"No," he growled back, trying to dislodge his fellow Marauder's head from his novel.

"Please?".

"No".

"Why not?".

"Why don't you bug James, or even Peter?".

"James is busy".

"Doing what?".

"Lilly".

"You disgust me".

"I know!".

"..."

"..."

"Will you get off my lap?"

"Not until you come out and play!"

"You're acting like a five year old, Siri".

"You're acting like an old fogey. Look, even your hair is turning grey from boredom!" Sirius said, and reached up to tug at some admittingly grey looking streaks in his hair.

"You're such an arse," Remus said, and slunk down into the folds of his blanket to cover the blush that was rising from his cheeks.

"Ooh, I'm soo insulted! He called me an arse!" Sirius mocked, and suddenly leapt up with such force as to startle Remus and knock him into the carpet below. The soft ëwud' as he fell out of his personal heaven and onto the hard floor jolted Remus into action.

"Just leave me alone damn it!" he growled, and, inspite himself, Sirius gulped. To regain his confidence, he stood up and loomed over the werewolf, teasing him.

"What are you going to do about it, Lupin?" he mocked, prodding the deceivingly sickly looking boy below him with his foot. Remus growled, but this time from somewhere in the back of his throat, and Sirius knew he'd pushed the boy a little too far, but he realized this a moment too late.

The foot that had poked the boy was grabbed with super human speed, and he toppled. In a flash, the smaller boy was over him, pinning him, and Sirius gave out an involuntary whimper. The blaze in Remus amber eyes died at that sound, as did the bruising grip on his shoulders, but the firmness remained.

"I'll give you two options," Remus said using his Head Boy Voice (tm), "first, you can go and find Peter to go play with him outside," he paused, as if he expected the other boy to run off and comply to this suggestion. When he didn't, he looked puzzled.

"What's the second?" Sirius grinned weakly, and Remus softened visibly.

"Second, you can stay here with me," he smiled, then, frowning, "as long as you don't disturb me anymore". With a whoop, Sirius leapt up and saluted.

"I can't promise I wont disturb you," he paused at Lupin's glower, "what I mean is," he continued nervously, "is that I'll . . . " his voiced trailed off at the glare sent his way, "shut up". His shoulders slumped, defeated, and Remus perked up.

Setting up, once again, his pile of blankets with such care and tenderness it made Sirius snigger, Lupin plopped down. When he patted the seat next to him, Sirius realized he'd carved a spot next to him out of blankets. Sniffing, he sat down as far away from the boy as possible, crossing his arms indignantly.

"I will not be part of your sick little love nest," (1) he said, back straight as a ramrod against the couch.

"Suit yourself," Lupin replied, and used the extra blanket to cover up his side.

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"Shh, James, you'll wake them!" whispered Lilly none too softly, slightly tipsy from the butterbeers she'd consumed.

"Aww isn't that sweet?" James giggled, pointing at the pair on the couch, "puppy love".

Indeed, the scene before them reeked of cuteness. The two of them had long ago fallen asleep from the warm fire, and Sirius, despite his earlier mutterings, had fallen on top of Remus in slumber, and, assumably, had snuggled up to the boy for the same reason, his arms about the little Remus, cacooned in fur, made a very sweet picture, and in Jame's mind, even better blackmail.

"Hold this," he ordered, and Lilly held his ruck sack while he rummaged through it.

"Ah ha!" he said, a evil grin splitting his face as he pulled out his camera . . .

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Seventeen years later (2), Remus Lupin held that same picture in trembling hands. He glanced down at the headlines on ëThe Daily Profit' before him.

ëMAD MAN ESCAPES FROM AZKABAN: BLACK ON THE LOOSE'

Picking up both paper and picture, he dumped them in the dust bin.

"Incendio".

Watching for a second as the papers burned, he willed himself to look away, though found he could not, the miniature fire burning something inside of him. A movement from the picture caught his eye, Sirius snuggling closer to him, eyes half open with a smile. Before he knew what he was doing, he grabbed the photograph out of the flames, as watched as the picture of the strange, insane man on the cover of the news paper, burnt.

'That man isn't Sirius Black,' he thought to him self, staring as the man on the news paper screamed insanely. He dazedly looked down at the photograph, 'this is'.

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(1) Sirius is a boy. A teen boy. Teen boys do not cuddle with other teen boys. Not purposely, anyway.

(2) This is an approximation using wikipedia. The picture is taken in their fifth year, and Remus reflects about it in the year he goes to teach at Hogwarts. Approximently.

Reviews are appreciated. 


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